Magnetic disks, optical disks, optical magnetic disks, and the like are currently available as recording and/or reproducing disks. Of these disks, optical disks and optical magnetic disks normally allow rewrite, i.e., overwrite of recorded contents. However, optical disks in which signals are recorded as pits are generally used as playback disks.
Such disks have been used by various types of recording/reproducing apparatuses. One of these apparatuses employs a so-called automatic changer system. In this system, a plurality of disks are directly housed in a disk magazine without being housed in cassette cases, and a disk is arbitrarily selected and taken out from the magazine to be loaded in a recording/reproducing drive unit, thereby performing a recording or reproducing operation. For example, a CD player of an automatic disk change system is designed in this manner. As a recording/reproducing apparatus using such a disk magazine, attempts have been made to develop an apparatus of a system in which a plurality of recording/reproducing drive units are arranged and disks are taken out from a disk magazine so as to be respectively loaded in the recording/reproducing drive units so that data can be simultaneously or selectively recorded or reproduced in or from the disks. For example, a disk player as an external storage unit in a computer system is being developed.
FIG. 16 shows a conventional disk magazine A used for such a recording/reproducing apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 16, reference symbol B denotes an outer casing having a rectangular shape as a two-dimensional figure. In addition, the outer casing B has a box-like shape with an open front surface C, while elongated holes E are formed in one side wall D so as to extend in the forward/backward direction at substantially equal intervals in the height direction. Reference symbols F denote partition plates arranged at substantially equal intervals in the height direction. The interior of the outer casing B is partitioned into a plurality of disk housing spaces G by these partition plates F. The elongated holes E respectively correspond to the disk housing spaces G. Disks H are respectively housed in the disk housing spaces G one by one. The disks H are held by an elastic member (not shown) located near a wall opposite to the disk housing spaces G so as not to slip out of the disk housing spaces G. Reference symbols I denote disk push levers (partially shown) respectively arranged in the disk housing spaces G. Operation arms J of the disk push levers I respectively protrude from the wall D through the holes E, and are supported to be freely moved forward and backward within a predetermined range. In addition, the operation arms J are normally biased backward by an elastic member (not shown), so that while they are not biased forward, they are held at a position indicated by solid lines.
The above-described disk magazine A is mounted on a disk magazine mounting portion of a disk player (not shown) in a predetermined direction. When a disk push lever I corresponding to a designated disk H is moved forward as indicated by alternate long and two short dashed lines in FIG. 16 by a disk loading mechanism, the designated disk H is pushed so that it partially protrudes from the opening C. The disk H pushed out in this manner is taken out by a disk transfer means of the disk loading mechanism and is loaded in a recording/reproducing drive unit.
When another disk H is designated or an ejection command of the disk magazine A is performed, the disk H which is loaded in the recording/reproducing drive unit in the above-described manner is returned into a predetermined disk housing space G of the disk magazine A by the disk loading mechanism.
In a read operation of signals from a magnetic disk or an optical magnetic disk, if dust adheres to a recording surface or the surface is damaged, that part of the signal may drop out.
Since the opening C for ejecting disks of the conventional magazine A is always open, and moreover a large number of holes E are formed to allow the disk push levers I and the arms J to protrude from the magazine, dust and the like tend to enter the magazine through the opening C and the holes E and adhere to the disks H.